Paedophile given jail term – and released immediately

A PAEDOPHILE was handed one year jail term for sexually abusing a teenage boy – but was released on the spot after serving half that time on remand.

Southampton pensioner John Jones first met his 13-year-old victim after offering him work cutting his grass.

The city crown court heard how he befriended the boy before dishing out cigarettes and alcohol.

He then asked him to carry out a succession of indecent acts during December of last year.

The court was told how a conversation where Jones asked the boy to expose himself was taped on a mobile phone.

The 76-year-old, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in sexual activity on the day of his trail.

Matthew Jewell, defending, said his client had not entered an earlier plea because he had not heard the recording, a key part of the evidence, until that point and suffered memory loss about the period in question.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Ralls QC condemned Jones for targeting his victim before setting about “a campaign to corrupt him” with alcohol and cigarettes.

A one year jail term was passed but because Jones had been on remand since his arrest in December he was released straight away.

He was also put on licence for the next six months on placed on the sex offenders register.